Will The Booming Online Beauty Businesses Survive in the Post-Pandemic Period?

Now that some countries are slowly lifting travel bans and other pandemic restrictions, people are starting to explore the outside world again. The beauty industry is just one of the industries that heavily depended on e-commerce during the pandemic surge, but seeing how most establishments are starting to open their physical stores, will the online beauty industry still survive?

E-commerce Beauty Retailers

Retailers in the e-commerce beauty industry have been keeping the industry afloat during the pandemic. In addition to that, the surge of these online retailers during the pandemic was highly significant, and the competition has never been fiercer. So there’s no doubt that e-commerce will continue to be substantial during the post-pandemic period. Still, the sales might be expected to be lower, taking the brick-and-mortar stores opening into consideration. 

Social Media Influence

The social media we have right now holds so much power in people’s minds. Like any other internet trend, you need to keep your social media advertising unique and effective for your business to stay relevant even after the pandemic. Social media marketing has already paved its way to be recognized as one of the most effective ways in any type of marketing strategy. Retailers should take advantage of it and utilize every creative idea they might have in mind. 

Spike in skincare sales amidst the pandemic

Skincare has been at the top even before the pandemic started, but it showed a spike during the pandemic’s peak where self-care was the hottest pandemic trend. Many beauty retailers heavily relied on wholesale Korean skincare sites to keep up with this sudden spike in demand. Fortunately, skincare will not be seen as irrelevant during the post-pandemic period since people will likely continue prioritizing health over beauty. 

The authenticity of beauty products online

Questioning the originality of beauty products you can buy online has always been a practice. However, online retailers should address this issue as much as possible as it possesses risks that might make them lose their consumers. Counterfeits are not new to the beauty industry, but it is one of the biggest enemies retailers have been fighting. Unfortunately, some retailers are encouraging counterfeiters by purchasing their products to save and earn more money. 

Even though there are authenticity checkers over the web, the possibility of buying a fake product can solely affect the consumers’ decision if they will continue with the purchase or not. The post-pandemic period may snatch a significant amount of sales from e-commerce sites, but it will not be as painful as you might expect. 

Re-opening of brick-and-mortar stores 

Assuming that most physical stores would be open by this time, it cannot affect the e-commerce sales as bad as they were hit when the pandemic began. Online shopping is the new normal for many people, and it is more convenient than going to physical stores when you can buy everything online. Unfortunately, each has its own pros and cons, and both the e-commerce and physical stores have yet to find out how they can outweigh each of their strengths.

Will online beauty businesses survive in the post-pandemic period? 

The survival chance is high for these online beauty businesses. However, there is no guarantee on how the market will go for the time being. The best option for beauty retailers, new or not, is to watch out for the upcoming trends as we transition to the post-pandemic era. In addition to that, they will need to improve everything they can, most especially in marketing and consumer satisfaction, because it will be challenging to beat the actual shopping experience customers experience in physical stores, despite the AR/VR technology. 

Key Takeaway

The beauty industry and the e-commerce industry are both powerful industries that will take centuries to be irrelevant. As we progress to a more techy era, it will not be surprising for us to see them thriving in the future. However, the online beauty industry should focus on strengthening its social media influence and addressing consumers’ doubts regarding product authenticity as much as they can. Survival is not something retailers will struggle with. It will be about staying relevant with the rising competition within the industry.